The play Dangerous Liaison, adapted by British playwright Sir Christopher Hampton, is based on the 1782 novel by French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The narrative is set against the backdrop of significant social and political turmoil in France leading up to the French Revolution. It focuses on two morally bankrupt aristocrats, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, who take pleasure in using seduction, betrayal, and deception as tools for personal entertainment and revenge.
Kanata Theatre’s production, under Sarah Hegger’s direction, adeptly captures the intense emotional dynamics and layered manipulation of the two central characters. Megan LeMarquant shines as the Marquise, masterfully depicting the depraved hollowness of the female protagonist.
Stavros Sakiadis also delivers a compelling performance as the Vicomte de Valmont, the morally empty former lover of the Marquise who, like her, lacks the ability for genuine human connection. Both leads command the stage throughout this extensive production, flawlessly delivering their substantial lines.
The team of costume designers successfully dressed the cast in fabulous period attire and effectively transported the audience to the 18th century. The set is clean, simple, and complex at the same time. The designer skillfully replicated the appearance of inlaid wood floors and ingeniously incorporated a bed into the stage design for the more provocative scenes showcasing the debauched Valmont in his element.
The subject matter includes themes of power, corruption, and decadence, and while well acted, the main characters are not at all likeable. Their questionable moral behaviour extends to the housemaids and footmen in service, who, albeit highly entertaining, steal and pilfer at every opportunity.
Lindsey Keene delivers an excellent performance as the young and beautiful La Presidente de Tourvel, while Ava Gustine convincingly portrays Cecile Volanges’ innocence and sweetness.
Kanata Theatre’s production of Dangerous Liaisons is compelling theatre. The play invites viewers to reflect on themes of manipulation, control, and the consequences of moral decay.
If its purpose was to critique the “ancien régime,” then perhaps the underlying message is that it represented a chapter in French history that necessitated an end.
Dangerous Liaison is at the Kanata Theatre until Saturday, November 16. Catch it nightly from Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.
To purchase tickets, visit kanatatheatre.ca
Photos: Alex Henkelman
